JEYPORE: With Andhra Pradesh preparing to hold the next phase of panchayat elections in villages bordering Odisha, Koraput police has intensified their outreach and surveillance in Kotia to strengthen their connect with local residents.
As part of the initiative, police on Wednesday organised a public outreach programme at Upper Sembi village, where additional SP Manoj Kumar Pujari interacted with residents. Police officials discussed various local issues with the villagers and emphasised the need to strengthen cooperation and mutual trust between the police and people living in the border region.
The outreach programme in Kotia group of villages assumes significance in view of the next phase of panchayat elections scheduled for November 29 in the neighbouring Salur block of Andhra Pradesh.
Police said the administration was focusing on maintaining close contact with residents of Kotia panchayat and strengthening its grassroots presence ahead of the elections. The strategy is aimed at ensuring that no polling booths are set up in the villages of Kotia and preventing electoral activities by Andhra Pradesh agencies in areas falling within Odisha’s jurisdiction.
Pujari said the Odisha administration was fully prepared to maintain peace and law and order in the border region during the forthcoming elections in the neighbouring state. He also stressed the importance of maintaining regular communication with villagers and strengthening police-public relations.
He said the administration has also stepped up security arrangements by establishing three police outposts at Phatu Seneri, Neredivalsa and Phaguna Seneri villages to monitor developments and keep a close watch on the movement of people along the inter-state border.
The intensified measures follow the first phase panchayat elections in Andhra Pradesh on November 5. Participation of some of the villagers of Kotia triggered political reactions in Odisha and raised concerns over the neighbouring state’s continued electoral activities in the bordering panchayat.